Indian toddler bites three-foot cobra to death after snake coils around his arm
Govinda Kumar was in the yard near his home in Bankatwa village, in Bihar's West Champaran district, when the venomous snake lunged at him and wrapped itself tightly around his hand.
Relatives said the toddler had earlier thrown a piece of brick at the snake. In response, the cobra attacked—only for Govinda to bite its head, killing it on the spot.
'When we saw the snake in the child's hand, everyone rushed towards him, but in the meantime, he already bit the snake, killing it,' said his grandmother, Mateshwari Devi.
Govinda reportedly lost consciousness soon after and was rushed to a local health centre, before being transferred to the Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH) in Bettiah.
Doctors confirmed the snake died from injuries to its head and mouth, believed to be caused by the boy's bite.
Dr Surab Kumar, who is treating Govinda, said the venom did affect the child, but 'not fatally' and that 'timely treatment saved Govinda's life.'
The child is currently in stable condition and remains under close observation. Anti-allergy medication has been administered, and doctors are monitoring him for any delayed effects of the venom.
The Telegraph reported that doctors were initially sceptical and verified with the boy's parents multiple times to ensure the child had not been bitten.
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The Star
6 days ago
- The Star
Toddler survives deadly encounter with cobra by biting its head off
A two-year-old boy survived what could have been a lethal encounter with a cobra in the most bizarre way: He bit its head off. News reports said Govinda Kumar was playing at his home in Bankatwa village in India's eastern state of Bihar on July 25 when a nearly one-metre-long cobra slithered close by. He mistook the venomous snake for a toy and tried to grab it, according to Times of India. The cobra coiled itself around the boy's hand. Startled, Govinda reacted by biting the snake's head clean off. 'He killed it on the spot,' the boy's grandmother Mateshwari Devi was quoted as saying. The boy then passed out and was rushed to a hospital. He was transferred to Government Medical College and Hospital Bettiah for specialist care, where doctors treated him for ingesting some of the snake's venom when he bit it. Dr Saurab Kumar, an associate professor at the hospital's paediatrics department, told The Telegraph that Govinda likely survived because the cobra's venom did not enter his bloodstream. The boy sank his teeth into the cobra but it was not able to bite him, he said. 'I received the child active and alert, but his mouth and face were swollen because of the reaction to the venom in the oral cavity,' said Dr Kumar. Cobra venom contains neurotoxins that can impair the nervous system and damage tissues and blood cells, with the severity of symptoms depending on the species. Govinda was discharged on July 26. According to 2023 data from the World Health Organisation, snakes bite some 5.4 million people globally each year, leading to as many as 137,880 deaths. The number of people left with amputations or permanent disabilities may be up to three times higher. India accounts for roughly half of all snake bite-related deaths, according to a report published by News Decoder earlier in 2025. The country has around 300 species of snakes, including 60 highly venomous species such as the Russell's vipers, kraits and saw-scaled vipers, which are responsible for most of the bite- related deaths. The Indian cobra completes this list of the 'big four' species responsible for the most snake bites in India. — The Straits Times/ANN
The Star
29-07-2025
- The Star
Two-year-old boy in India bites cobra to death in bizarre encounter
- Representational photo. NEW DELHI: A two-year-old boy in India's eastern state of Bihar killed a cobra by biting it after the venomous snake had slithered too close to him. Govinda Kumar was playing at home in Bankatwa village when he spotted the nearly metre-long snake, tried to grab it, only to have the reptile coil around his hands and attack him, according to local media. The boy's grandmother was quoted as saying that Govinda's reaction was to bite the snake's head, killing it on the spot. The child then passed out and was rushed to hospital. Grandmother Mateshwari Devi told local media: 'I was moving firewood near the house and the cobra came out... We rushed towards the boy and saw he had taken the cobra's head into his mouth. We then separated the cobra from his mouth and hands. 'The cobra died on the spot, while the child fell unconscious.' The Hindustan Times reported that the child had bitten so hard into the snake that it was ripped in two. According to India Today, village locals had said the boy was possibly agitated by the snake coming too close to him. Govinda was transferred to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) Bettiah for specialist care, where doctors said they treated up to six snake bites monthly but had never seen such a 'highly unusual case'. The child was believed to have lost consciousness from ingesting the snake's venom when he bit it. The Telegraph quoted Dr Saurab Kumar, associate professor in the GMCH Bettiah's paediatrics department, as saying that Govinda seemingly survived as the venom had not entered his bloodstream from the snake's bite – as is usually the case. The child had instead ingested the poison by eating 'part of the cobra'. 'I received the child active and alert but his mouth and face was swollen because of the reaction to the venom in the oral cavity. 'We were surprised and cross-checked with his parents multiple times to ensure the child was not bitten by the cobra to rule out that venom had not gone into his bloodstream. They told us he bit the cobra and the snake died on the spot.' Govinda was discharged on Saturday, a day after the harrowing incident that made headlines across India. The Times of India drew parallels with the Hindu legend of Lord Krishna – also known as Govinda – who vanquished the venomous serpent Kaliya Naag in the Yamuna river. India is home to multiple species of cobra, with the Indian cobra among the 'big four' that account for the most snake bites in the country. Cobra venom contains toxins that target the nervous system and can damage body tissues and blood cells, with its severity varying across species. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) figures from 2023, an estimated 5.4 million people worldwide are bitten by snakes each year, with up to 137,880 deaths from snake bites, while amputations or permanent disabilities could be up to three times as many. India alone accounts for half of the snake-bite-related deaths, according to a report by website News Decoder earlier this year. Contacts between humans and snakes are expected to become more pronounced or frequent in some regions along with an increase in the risk of snakebite cases due to climate change, according to a report released last year by the WHO. - South China Morning Post
Malay Mail
29-07-2025
- Malay Mail
Indian toddler bites three-foot cobra to death after snake coils around his arm
KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — A two-year-old boy in India has shocked his community after he bit a cobra to death when it coiled around his arm while he was playing outside, according to the Daily Mail. Govinda Kumar was in the yard near his home in Bankatwa village, in Bihar's West Champaran district, when the venomous snake lunged at him and wrapped itself tightly around his hand. Relatives said the toddler had earlier thrown a piece of brick at the snake. In response, the cobra attacked—only for Govinda to bite its head, killing it on the spot. 'When we saw the snake in the child's hand, everyone rushed towards him, but in the meantime, he already bit the snake, killing it,' said his grandmother, Mateshwari Devi. Govinda reportedly lost consciousness soon after and was rushed to a local health centre, before being transferred to the Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH) in Bettiah. Doctors confirmed the snake died from injuries to its head and mouth, believed to be caused by the boy's bite. Dr Surab Kumar, who is treating Govinda, said the venom did affect the child, but 'not fatally' and that 'timely treatment saved Govinda's life.' The child is currently in stable condition and remains under close observation. Anti-allergy medication has been administered, and doctors are monitoring him for any delayed effects of the venom. The Telegraph reported that doctors were initially sceptical and verified with the boy's parents multiple times to ensure the child had not been bitten.
